The U.S. President has established the so-called Board of Peace. What is the purpose of this body, and which countries have already backed the initiative? Here’s everything you need to know about Donald Trump’s new project.
The Board, which Donald Trump is set to chair indefinitely, was originally intended to oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, devastated by the war with Israel. Over time, however, its mandate was expanded to cover conflicts worldwide, and the draft statute sent along with invitations to join no longer even mentions Gaza.
Among the invited countries were Russia and China – political rivals of the United States – as well as Belarus. The entry fee for a permanent seat on the Board is set at 1 billion dollars. Invitations were also extended to U.S. European allies (including Poland), oil-rich Gulf states, former Soviet republics, and even Trump’s fellow countryman, Pope Leo XIV.
At the signing ceremony of the founding charter, held on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, representatives of fewer than 20 countries attended – mainly from the Middle East, Asia, and South America.
This is far fewer than the roughly 35 countries a senior U.S. administration official had predicted earlier in the week. European leaders were absent. The only EU countries represented at the event were Hungary and Bulgaria.
Who attended the inauguration of the Board of Peace in Davos?
Here is the list of participants – and signatories of the founding document:
- President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
- President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani
- President of Pakistan, Shehbaz Sharif
- President of Paraguay, Santiago Peña
- Prime Minister of Qatar,Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani
- Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia, Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud
- Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Hakan Fidan
- Chairman of the Executive Office of the United Arab Emirates, Khaldoon Al Mubarak
- President of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev
- Prime Minister of Mongolia Gombojavyn Zandanshatar
- Foreign Minister of Jordan, Ayman Safadi
- Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa from the Office of the Prime Minister of Bahrain
- Foreign Minister of Morocco, Nasser Bourita
- President of Argentina, Javier Milei
- Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan
- Outgoing Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Rosen Zhelyazkov
- Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán
- President of Indonesia, Prabowo Subianto
Polish President Karol Nawrocki attended the event but did not sign the founding document.
Despite the modest turnout, Donald Trump stated that “everyone wants to participate” in his new initiative. He emphasized that the Board will harness the “enormous potential” of the United Nations, though there had previously been concerns that the initiative could sideline existing multilateral structures.
“This is one of the most important bodies ever created,” Trump said, describing the Board as composed of “the world’s leading leaders” working for “peace on Earth.”
What is the new Peace Board and who will lead it?
Donald Trump first introduced the idea of the Board last September as part of the second phase of a 20-point ceasefire plan for the Gaza Strip, negotiated by the United States.
In November, the plan received the backing of the United Nations Security Council, granting it international legitimacy and giving the Board a mandate to oversee Gaza’s demilitarization and reconstruction.
Trump, however, has long-term ambitions for the Board. A draft statute obtained by CNN describes it as an “international organization” tasked with promoting stability, peace, and governance “in areas affected by conflict or at risk of conflict.
Under the statute, Trump is to serve as the Board’s chairman indefinitely, potentially even after his second presidential term ends.
The Board also includes a founding Executive Board, featuring Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, special envoy Steve Witkoff, and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.
At yesterday’s Davos ceremony, Kushner said that “peace is a different kind of transaction than a business deal.” He emphasized that, under the U.S. administration’s “overarching plan” for Gaza’s reconstruction, “there is no Plan B” other than a multi-stage effort to end the war and transform the region.
Kushner also stressed that a key part of the plan relies on Hamas’ demilitarization. He assured that the United States will “ensure its implementation,” though he did not provide further details.
How will it function?
According to the founding charter signed on Thursday, Trump will serve as the “master and ruler” of the new body. He will not only chair the Peace Board but also hold the exclusive right to appoint his successor.
In addition, Trump will have the power to veto any decision made by a majority vote in the Board, meaning it will not operate as a fully democratic institution.
Membership terms on the Board of Peace will last a maximum of three years from the charter’s entry into force. Countries seeking permanent membership will be required to pay a fee of one billion euros within the next twelve months.
So far, no country has formally committed to this contribution, although Vladimir Putin has indicated he might be willing to participate.
Who else accepted the invitation?
The United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Pakistan, Turkey, Hungary, Morocco, Kosovo, Albania, Bulgaria, Argentina, and Paraguay all accepted Trump’s invitation. Similarly, several Central Asian countries—Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Uzbekistan—as well as Southeast Asian nations Indonesia and Vietnam joined the initiative.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also became part of the project, despite previously expressing outrage over the involvement of Turkish and Qatari officials in the Gaza Executive Council and despite being under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has also signed on, while his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, has not made an official decision yet, though he has shown interest in the initiative. During a meeting with Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, Putin said he “would be willing” to contribute one billion dollars to the new body to support the Palestinian people.
Donald Trump acknowledged that there are “controversial figures” among those invited, though he did not specify names.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has repeatedly criticized Trump for undermining the rules-based international order and imposing punitive tariffs, initially intended to join the initiative under certain conditions. However, CNN reports that Trump later withdrew Canada’s invitation.
Who declined the invitation?
The United Kingdom announced that it would not join the initiative because Russia was also invited. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper told the BBC yesterday that her country would not become a signatory “because this is a legal treaty that addresses much broader issues.”
“We also have concerns about Putin participating in something related to peace, while we have yet to see any signals from him committing to peace in Ukraine,” she added.
France and Norway also declined, partly citing doubts about how the Peace Board would operate in coordination with the United Nations.
China confirmed that it had received an invitation but did not disclose whether it intends to join. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated on Wednesday that China “will remain firmly engaged in protecting the international system with the UN at its center.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said it was hard to imagine Ukraine “being in any board together with Russia.” He added, “The problem is that Russia is our enemy, and Belarus is its ally.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni noted that participation could raise constitutional issues and declined to attend the signing ceremony. Irish Foreign Minister Helen McEntee said she would “carefully consider” the invitation.
What about Poland?
Polish President Karol Nawrocki was also invited to join the board. However, Prime Minister Donald Tusk preempted any unilateral action by the head of state, posting on X that Poland’s participation in an international organization “requires the approval of the Council of Ministers and ratification by the Sejm.”
“The government will act solely in the interest and security of the Polish state. We will not allow anyone to play us,” Tusk added.
He himself does not intend to rush any potential ratification process for joining the new body.
“There were concerns in the government about what Nawrocki might do, whether he might sign an agreement with Trump on his own, thinking the invitation to the Boardl was personal. But tensions eased when the President’s Office asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an official opinion on the matter. That made it clear that the president would not act without explicit government consent,” a source close to the ruling coalition told Wirtualna Polska portal.
“At Davos, we acted according to the government’s recommendation. Poland’s security requires cooperation between the president and the prime minister, in line with constitutional principles,” Tusk wrote following the World Economic Forum.
“Our ongoing personal contact (between Tusk and Nawrocki) over the past few days has produced positive results,” he added.
